Where I found this, they called it “no-time” bread, which I think sounds stupid, but “quick bread” is already its own separate type of baked good, so…fast bread? Sure! This bread goes from “hmm I want some bread” to ready to eat in under 2 hours, and makes a good bread with a firm crust, thanks to the power of…the microwave! Nuking the dough briefly dramatically slashes rising time, and a tiny bit of balsamic provides a sort of ‘bite’ to make up for the tang you get in long, slow rise doughs. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Combine the yeast and sugar in the water in a large bowl and stir to combine, then let sit for a few minutes until it begins to foam.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450, with a dutch oven on the middle rack. Starting now makes sure the dutch oven will be well heated when you’re ready, and, again, we don’t have 2 hour-long rises to deal with here! Grease a large microwave safe bowl and set aside.

Add 3 cups of the flour, as well as the salt and vinegar, and stir together until it’s formed a sticky dough. Knead in the remaining half cup of flour and knead vigorously until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, place smooth-side-down in the bowl, then rotate smooth-side-up, to grease lightly all over.

Wet a kitchen towel well, then wring it out until it’s not dripping, and drape over the bowl with the dough. Cover the wet towel with a dry towel, then microwave on high for 25 seconds. Let the dough sit in the microwave 5 minutes, then microwave an additional 25 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and let rest an additional 15 minutes.

When the rises are done, remove the dutch oven from the oven and take off the lid. Quickly deflate the risen dough and shape back into a ball, then place in the dutch oven, where it will probably sizzle a bit. Quickly cut slashes in the top of the bread with a sharp knife or razor blade, then cover the dutch oven and put back in the oven.

Bake 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown and crusty.

Let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing, to avoid a weird gummy texture from the steam all escaping – that’s the same for any yeast bread!

Fast Crusty Bread

From Kitchn.

• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Combine the yeast and sugar in the water in a large bowl and stir to combine, then let sit for a few minutes until it begins to foam.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450, with a dutch oven on the middle rack. Grease a large microwave safe bowl and set aside.

Add 3 cups of the flour, as well as the salt and vinegar, and stir together until it’s formed a sticky dough. Knead in the remaining half cup of flour and knead vigorously until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, place smooth-side-down in the bowl, then rotate smooth-side-up, to grease lightly all over. Wet a kitchen towel well, then wring it out until it’s not dripping, and drape over the bowl with the dough. Cover the wet towel with a dry towel, then microwave on high for 25 seconds. Let the dough sit in the microwave 5 minutes, then microwave an additional 25 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and let rest an additional 15 minutes.

When the rises are done, remove the dutch oven from the oven and take off the lid. Quickly deflate the risen dough and shape back into a ball, then place in the dutch oven, where it will probably sizzle a bit. Quickly cut slashes in the top of the bread with a sharp knife or razor blade, then cover the dutch oven and put back in the oven. Bake 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown and crusty.

Let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.